These Teufel speakers look like a bargain – and the big and bold sound only helps the cause

For

Big, bassy sound

loud

engaging and exciting

nicely built

plenty of box for the money

Against

Not as confident with more subtle sounds

not the last word in dynamics

Reviewed on 19th November 2009

Now here's a big pair of speakers at an eyebrow-raisingly low price.

There's no denying you get plenty of speaker box for your buck from Teufel, a by-product of selling kit directly from the company's own website.

Throw in an eight-week right of return on all loudspeakers and the Ultima 60s are a tempting proposition before we've even heard them.

They do make a substantial proposition, though. Standing just over a metre high, the 45 litre enclosure houses two 16cm bass drivers, a similarly sized midrange unit and a 2.5cm fabric-dome tweeter.

Fearsome-looking speakersAs a result they're over 20cms wide and over 30cms deep, making two fearsome speakers, despite their smart finish and solid build.

More after the break

Adding to the considerable package, there are biwirable speaker terminals at the rear.

We didn't find any spikes with our speakers (they'd probably end up taking a chunk out of your floor) but the Ultima 60s each sit on a small, integrated plinth that incorporates four circular feet to take each speaker off the ground.

And should you have a room below the speakers, we're sure the inhabitants will be very grateful, for the first thing we notice about these speakers is the bass – there's plenty of it.

Subtlety not a speciality Mr Hudson's There Will Be Tears requires a bit more attention to detail: some of the subtleties aren't fully conveyed by the Teufels – they prefer to be big and bold rather than overly intricate – but the track remains engaging.

In a similar vein, when asked to deliver some real dynamics, such as with the Gladiator OST, we find the Ultima 60s to be a little lacking. They're slightly one-dimensional, that dimension being ‘loud'. Still, they will never be accused of being lacklustre.

The Teufel Ultima 60s are surprisingly chirpy – what's not to like about an upbeat, chunky, powerful sound?

If the last word in detail and stirring dynamics are a must for you, you may well find a more suitable alternative, but for everyone else, we think these speakers are great fun.